West Des Moines Lacrosse (WDMLAX) is seeking well-qualified candidates for Varsity Boys and Varsity Girls coaching positions. Candidates must possess outstanding communication and organizationskills; the ability to work well with teens; have previously played lacrosse at the high school or college level; have some coaching experience; and be a positive role-model. To be considered, please […]

West Des Moines Lacrosse (WDMLAX) is seeking well-qualified candidates for Varsity Boys and Varsity Girls coaching positions. Candidates must possess outstanding communication and organizationskills; the ability to work well with teens; have previously played lacrosse at the high school or college level; have some coaching experience; and be a positive role-model. To be considered, please send a letter of interest, resume, and references to WDMLAX, Coach Search Committee, at toni@backstrom.com, no later than Friday, September 6, 2014.

Regular readers may have noticed a lack of content as of late. This is due to an increasingly busy work schedule that has prevented me from contributing as much as I would have liked. Unfortunately my work schedule has also forced me into making the extremely tough and highly emotional decision to step down as the head coach of the Valley Tigers Lacrosse team effective this fall. Whether I am able to return to the sideline in the future will depend on how my work schedule shakes out from here and how it impacts my family time.

Ultimately I had to make a choice to continue coaching or spend time with my family, which was really not a choice at all. I love the game of lacrosse dearly and will continue to support it however I can. I step down knowing that the team has solid support system in place thanks to several committed parents who have graciously offered their time to create a supervisory board. Knowing that these outstanding individuals are running the show made my painful decision a little easier.

I would like to thank the players and parents for their support over the last six years. We created something truly outstanding with this program and I am excited to see it continue to grow and evolve in the years to come.

On April 5th, the Wingmen played in our second scrimmage of the spring against a local high school team, the Crusaders of Kapaun Mount Carmel(KMC). As a first year team KMC has some talent in the midfield along with a bunch of new players eager to learn. After jumping out to an early lead it […]

On April 5th, the Wingmen played in our second scrimmage of the spring against a local high school team, the Crusaders of Kapaun Mount Carmel(KMC). As a first year team KMC has some talent in the midfield along with a bunch of new players eager to learn. After jumping out to an early lead it became apparent that this wasn’t just a game against another team, no this was a learning experience. There were several instances where I heard our guys coaching up the younger guys.

It was also a game that allowed for some of our guys to get some time in positions that they normally don’t play in. Our main goalie Jay Fitzgerald took some time with the long pole and even ran some midfield shifts. Giving one of our other goalies Shell, a game back in cage after a broken thumb kept him out of indoor completely.

Jordan Kemp and Joe MacDonald both played quarters at attack and defense. A solid 10-0 shutout left all the Wingmen in a good mood during the team meal afterwards.

When you think of Kansas, what are some of the things that come to mind? The Bible Belt, Bad Weather, Slow Lifestyles, and Lacrosse. One of those things doesn’t quite belong in a traditional sense, but here in Wichita, there are a few devoted fans of the Creator’s game and interest is starting to pick […]

Probably one of the first things that comes to mind when you think of Kansas…

When you think of Kansas, what are some of the things that come to mind? The Bible Belt, Bad Weather, Slow Lifestyles, and Lacrosse. One of those things doesn’t quite belong in a traditional sense, but here in Wichita, there are a few devoted fans of the Creator’s game and interest is starting to pick up.

My name is Garrett Alley and I am the Vice President for the Wichita Wingmen Lacrosse Club. Like some post collegiate clubs, we are completely volunteer based, which means we can have weeks where 20 people show up to practice and others where we can barely run 3v3.

The goal of this blog is to “Grow the Game” in non-traditional areas, just like other blogs on this website have done. It will feature pictures from practice, games, club activities, the lacrosse scene in the surrounding area, and helping others. So you can get to know us better here is a little background on some of the members of the Wingmen.

“I grew up in Minnesota before lacrosse took hold there, but I was able to start playing at Iowa State where I went to college. I moved to Germany for work and played for the K-town Lumberjacks. Work again moved me to Wichita and I now play for the Wingmen.” –Joe Macdonald (Treasurer), Midfielder/FO Specialist

The other thing that comes to mind

“I started playing lacrosse at Oklahoma State University after being inspired by a cousin who played lacrosse at West Point. Work brought me to Wichita, and I joined the men’s club here and helped as an assistant coach with the high school club program. I have been an assistant coach for the high school program for about 6 years and I still play with the Wingmen.” –Stephen Sczepanski, Midfielder/FO Specialist

“In 6th grade I realized I suck at baseball, so I began playing lacrosse in Massachusetts. Played through high school, but not in college. I came to Wichita for work and was ecstatic/surprised to discover the Wingmen.” –Dan Niemczyk (President), Midfielder

“I started playing lacrosse here in Wichita in 04-05. A guy from Maryland reached out to the local hockey teams and I heard from my buddy so I started playing. We started the first high school team in Wichita & it’s bloomed into what we are now. I’ve been playing ever since.” –Allen North, Attack

“I was going to college in Hawaii and wanted to play a sport. Found the Hawaii lacrosse team and started playing with the men’s club team in 06-07. Came back to the states and coached HS teams in Washington, Colorado, and a MCLA team for Mesa Colorado University. Now I’m here, joined with the Wingmen since 2013.” –Paul Sawatski (Public Relations Coordinator/Secretary), Attack/Midfielder

“I went on a trip to the east coast when I was 16 (20 years ago) and went on a tour of Annapolis where I saw the Navy guys practicing. It was in the back of my mind off and on but every time I tried to reach out and find people who played I hit a dead end. I had just about given up hope until about 5 years ago when I found the Wingmen and I’ve been playing ever since.” –Jay Jacoby, Defense

“I was hit up by some lacrosse players outside of the student union at Kansas State University in the fall of 2000. I joined the team, ended up being Club President for 2 years, and garnered 2 years’ worth of First Team All-Conference honors as well as an Honorable Mention All-American nod. I was an original member of the Wingmen, and am currently trying to build the HS level here in Wichita.” –Tim VanWye, Attack

“I was first to lacrosse while playing in Water Polo tournament at Stanford. Decades later I went to see my doctor and he told me that I need to exercise and pick up a sport. I was at Sluggers and I heard that there was a league, they gave me the info and I met with Dick Neil and he told me to drop by and watch a game. I first wanted to play the field until I saw a game and decides to play the position I had played while playing Water Polo and Hockey, a goal keeper. I am also a referee and I am happy to see that the sport is growing in our area.” -Steve Duarte. Goalkeeper

“Because of how New Mexico blue laws influenced when beer was sold, I was up early on a Saturday morning in the Spring of 1986 to buy beer, and while walking across the University of New Mexico lacrosse field I asked by the players what I was doing and they were so impressed at how organized I was that I became the team Treasurer for the next two years! Graduated and played in North California for years. I joined the Wingmen when I moved back to Wichita from California.” Chris O’Neil, Midfield/FO Specialist

“Growing up in the hot bed of lacrosse in Northern New York, I had a stick in my hand early during grade school due to the fact that I had a brother that played Division 1 at West Point. I started playing organized lacrosse in 9th grade for the Massena Central High School JV team. I went on to captain the Varsity team in my Senior Year. In 2006, I walked on to the D3 Clarkson University Lacrosse Team. When I came to Wichita for work in 2011, I was pleasantly surprised to hear they had a team in the form of the Wichita Wingmen. It has been a lot of fun playing and spreading my knowledge when I am able.” –Adam Smith, Midfield/Attack

“My brother played for the Wingmen and convinced me to join in 2009. I had never played before and the first game was Chumash in a basketball gym with brick walls for out of bounds. I was hooked and have been playing since.” –Derrick Idbeis, Midfield

“I played lacrosse since 9th grade til my sr yr.I was fortunate to play indoor lax for awhile.I moved to wichita and play for the Wingmen.” -John Kempski, Midfield

“I was looking to learn a new sport while trying to get back in to some type of shape. Just browsing the interwebs and found the Wingmen website, getting showed up at a high school practice and threw around afterwards and was hooked.” -Garrett Alley (Vice-President), Midfield

More updates from our practices that have just started up coming soon. You can follow us on Facebook at Wichita Wingmen Lacrosse, twitter @wichitalacrosse and our website wichitalacrosse.com

]]>http://iowa.laxallstars.com/introducing-wichita-wingmen/feed/0A Roadmap for the Expansion of Iowa High School Lacrosse Part 3http://iowa.laxallstars.com/roadmap-expansion-iowa-high-school-lacrosse/
http://iowa.laxallstars.com/roadmap-expansion-iowa-high-school-lacrosse/#respondFri, 28 Mar 2014 18:15:20 +0000http://iowa.laxallstars.com/?p=1855

*Notice: This article will focus on boys lacrosse at the high school level as it is the area that I am most directly involved in. Girls lacrosse in Iowa is developing at a slower clip, so we may visit that topic in the future. Part 1 of this article discussed the history of high school […]

*Notice: This article will focus on boys lacrosse at the high school level as it is the area that I am most directly involved in. Girls lacrosse in Iowa is developing at a slower clip, so we may visit that topic in the future.

Part 1 of this article discussed the history of high school lacrosse in Iowa and addressed some of the major problems impeding its growth.

Part 2 reviewed previous ideas for creating an Iowa Lacrosse League and examined the most likely candidates to do so in the near future.

Travel

To get an idea of the feasibility of the league from a travel perspective, we need to consider the distances between locations. The basic idea is that in order for the league to work, it has to be an improvement upon or at least comparable to the existing teams’ situation. I am sticking to the previously noted cities for this illustration, but am by no means excluding the potential for smaller communities to field a lacrosse program.

In many cases, the county seat has the only high school in a given area.

Let us start with the travel that Valley has experienced on an annual basis thus far:

West Des Moines to Omaha, NE 134 miles W

West Des Moines to Lincoln, NE 183 miles W

By comparison, here are the distances that each of the hypothetical teams would travel for games. For Valley, the point of reference, travel distances are comparable to the current situation. Of course this ignores the greater number of games against local competition. For reference, Omaha is just over the Missouri River from Council Bluffs.

Once again, this provides a nice visual reference

Des Moines

Des Moines to Sioux City 198 miles NW

Des Moines to Waterloo 127 miles NE

Des Moines to Dubuque 202 miles NE

Des Moines to Cedar Rapids 127 miles E

Des Moines to Davenport 168 miles E

Sioux City

To Des Moines 198 miles NW

To Waterloo 213 miles E

To Dubuque 301 miles NE

To Cedar Rapids 264 miles SE

To Davenport 346 miles SE

Waterloo

To Des Moines 127 miles SW

To Sioux City 213 miles W

To Dubuque 91 miles E

To Cedar Rapids 55 miles S

To Davenport 136 miles SE

Dubuque

To Des Moines 202 miles SW

To Sioux City 301 miles W

To Waterloo 91 miles W

To Cedar Rapids 73 miles SW

To Davenport 71 miles S

Cedar Rapids

To Des Moines 127 miles W

To Sioux City 264 miles NW

To Waterloo 55 miles N

To Dubuque 73 miles NE

To Davenport 83 miles E

Davenport

To Des Moines 168 miles W

To Sioux City 346 miles NW

To Waterloo 136 miles NW

To Cedar Rapids 83 miles W

To Dubuque 71 miles N

Obviously some of the above road trips may not be feasible. Anything too far over 200 miles passes the 4 hour mark, which makes things extremely difficult. For games between Sioux City and Dubuque, Cedar Rapids, or Davenport, the recommendation would be to meet up in Des Moines or Waterloo. Given the assumption that these games would be played on a weekend, it’s conceivable that each team could play a double header with a local team (ie Sioux City vs Valley, Dubuque vs Ankeny, followed by Sioux City vs Dubuque).

And this is pretty much all you see between Waterloo and Sioux City…

How to Get There

On paper, everything should work to create an Iowa Lacrosse League, at least from a team standpoint. The first step is establish a solid foundation of four teams; as stated above, the easiest set up would be to do so in Des Moines. We’re halfway there!

This was a great start!

The next step would be to add two more teams to create a six team league. NELAX currently fields ten teams (counting both Iowa teams), but only fielded eight two years ago; in 2008 there were only six varsity teams – all in Omaha – in the league. The point is, six solid teams is a viable starting point for a fledgling league. From there, teams can be added and divisions can be created.

A pair of teams in this area would be a good start. Four would be even better.

So, which two? Logically it would be two from the eastern part of the state. Some combination of Waterloo, Dubuque, the Quad Cities, and Cedar Rapids, or even two from one of those metros, would make the most sense. Sioux City is kind of on an island in the west, but if they managed to create two in the region, or were willing to travel for pretty much all of their games, it could work. A fifth team in Des Moines (I previously listed three active possibilities) is another viable option. The point is at least two teams that are within three hours of Des Moines would be enough to make a go of things. more would be even better.

Now here’s the tricky part. In order for this to happen, individuals residing in these communities are going to have to find a way to make things work. Somebody is going to have to step up and lead. Somebody is going to have to do the work to get things organized, keep them organized, and make the program visible. Frankly, if you’re not visible then you don’t exist.

Make a Facebook page or website. It does not have to be fancy; it just needs to be accurate and updated. People need a place learn about your program and when and where events will be held. Make it straight forward, easy to use, and even easier to find. On top of that, I am more than happy to post about your program (or allow you to do so) on Lacrosse All Stars.

I won’t lie, starting a program takes a lot of work. Maintaining a program takes even more. Growing a program makes both look like child’s play. At least that is the case until you firmly establish yourself. As the program grows and becomes more established, participation increases almost naturally. That is how the Tigers have reached the point where serious discussions about spinning off teams are occurring. It took six years to reach this point, so do not expect it to happen overnight.

It’s even harder when places like this are not around…

Not only do players need to be trained, but coaches need to be trained as well. US Lacrosse has an excellent coaches’ education program. Courses are frequently offered in our region. I’ve attended courses on Kansas City and Omaha; I’ve seen listings for Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Chicago, and St Louis several times in the past. Taking advantage of these programs is a great way to get up to speed. Of course it helps if you have coached other sports too. So many concepts carry over from basketball and hockey with minor tweaks. Even soccer and football concepts frequently apply. But the big thing is that if you already know how to coach then you only have to learn the lacrosse part of things (which is way easier than it seems). The art of coaching is the hard part of the equation.

From there it is a matter of not having officials. I do not have an easy answer for this problem. However, there are routes that will become easier to pursue as teams emerge. With more in state teams, conversations can be held with the officials organizations for football, hockey, basketball, etc. Much like coaching, officiating involves both understanding the rules and knowing how to officiate. Theoretically, a basketball referee should be able to learn and adapt to lacrosse with minimal issues. Of course the reality is that lacrosse is hard to officiate if you do not have first hand knowledge of the game; the endless stream of rule changes does little to help.

There is also the option of importing referees from the surrounding states as needed. While this can be a short term solution, this is cannot be a clutch in a viable league. Luckily the surrounding officials organizations and US Lacrosse can offer assistance with training local officials. Undoubtedly, this is something that will have to be done in order to create a truly viable league.

Conclusion

While the growth of lacrosse does seem somewhat slow in Iowa, there are signs that it is speeding up. Every year it seems that an Iowa Lacrosse League becomes more of a viable possibility. If and when individuals step up and take control, multiple communities across the state can and will start sponsoring lacrosse programs.

At this point, we are only four teams away from being able to start an Iowa Lacrosse League. With some hard work and strong communication, we can whittle that down year-by-year. If we can add just one team each in the next four years, we will have arrived at our goal of a viable six team Iowa Lacrosse League. All it takes is dedicated players and volunteers with the drive to make it succeed and the ability to pool the necessary funds.

]]>http://iowa.laxallstars.com/roadmap-expansion-iowa-high-school-lacrosse/feed/0A Roadmap for the Expansion of Iowa High School Lacrosse Part 2http://iowa.laxallstars.com/roadmap-expansion-iowa-high-school-lacrosse-part-2/
http://iowa.laxallstars.com/roadmap-expansion-iowa-high-school-lacrosse-part-2/#respondThu, 27 Mar 2014 18:15:23 +0000http://iowa.laxallstars.com/?p=1857

*Notice: This article will focus on boys lacrosse at the high school level as it is the area that I am most directly involved in. Girls lacrosse in Iowa is developing at a slower clip, so we may visit that topic in the future. Part 1 of this article discussed the history of high school […]

*Notice: This article will focus on boys lacrosse at the high school level as it is the area that I am most directly involved in. Girls lacrosse in Iowa is developing at a slower clip, so we may visit that topic in the future.

Part 1 of this article discussed the history of high school lacrosse in Iowa and addressed some of the major problems impeding its growth.

Previous Visions

An example of what I had hoped for in the early days

Back in the winter of 2008-2009, before I knew what was being started at Valley, I envisioned a local high school lacrosse league that would lean a bit towards semi-competitive and play the bulk of its games in a single location. I based my model on the local “house” hockey league, which is secondary to the Midwest High School Hockey League. Although the house league is competitive in its own right, the skill levels are varied between players on any given team and it is definitively not as intense as the Midwest league. However, unlike the local Midwest league teams, Des Moines Metro High School Hockey League teams represent players’ schools. My thought was that players would be drawn towards playing for Lincoln and Roosevelt (or even a combined team, as in the house hockey league) as opposed to playing for the Des Moines X.

DM Oak Leafs – 3 current WDM Lacrosse players are in this picture

My original list of teams included a heavy dose of suburban schools that I envisioned making up individual teams: Valley, Waukee, Urbandale, Johnston, Ankeny (who had not yet expanded to two schools), and Dowling Catholic. Alongside them were paired schools: Lincoln & Roosevelt, East & Southeast Polk, and Indianola & Norwalk. Players not affiliated with any of the schools listed would be placed on the closest/most logical choice or on a catch all “Des Moines” team. It was, seemingly, a simple idea to start a ten team local league as a foundation for building a proper league down the road.

Obviously the league never came to fruition. After the fantasy part of dreaming it up and making mock ups (which is always fun!), I started looking at the costs. Needless to say, $400 per player across 10 teams with a bare minimum of 10 players each added up quickly ($40,000). And then expenses for goals, balls, field space, uniforms, etc were just too much to fathom – especially since I definitely do not have that type of capital at my disposal.

Where growth comes from

As a side note, when I started working on our summer youth program, I utilized a lot of the above concepts and pulled the numbers for the YMCA. Although we have not broken players up by school (or district) thus far, that idea is on the table. The idea behind restructuring teams in such a way is to provide visual cues on which areas are actively growing and could possibly field spring middle school and/or high school teams in the near future.

Some time around the end of the 2010 season, there was talk of spinning a Waukee team from the Valley team. At that time, roughly half of the team was from the Waukee district, so it seemed like a feasible idea. The league was indicating their preference for Valley to attempt such a split as well. As things stood, it would have been just enough for a second team, but left no room for either to have much in the way of subs on the bench, let alone JV programs for player development. It also would have meant splintering the already small three member coaching staff and trying to find an assistant for one of the teams. In hindsight, it is clear that a premature split was not in the program’s best interests as it would have negatively impacted the organic growth now occurring in West Des Moines. With the implementation of the youth program and spring middle school team, this is a concept that could be somewhat revisited.

Perhaps the most visible concept for an Iowa League is my Living in a Fantasy Land series from 2011-2012. This was an exercise in applying logic to building an Iowa Lacrosse League under unrealistic conditions. The very concept of money was thrown out the window in favor of things like population, location, and demographics. And let’s be honest: it was also an excuse to waste a bunch of time making mock-ups. I maintain that if money were not an object and expansion was planned slowly like the professional leagues, this series is a pretty close estimation of how I would do things.

This series

The Likely Candidates

It’s a way of life

Having looked at some of the issues and past concepts, it is time to shift gears and look at how an Iowa league can be created. Going through the latest developments and possibilities, I am reminded of the Grow the Game series from 2012. The current discussion will no doubt share some ideas from that series, as well as the aforementioned Fantasy Land series.

That said, this section will only deal with recent items. I am essentially ignoring anything that has come before that has not bore fruit.

A foundation must be laid before a building can be erected. In the case of Iowa Lacrosse, we have a half a foundation in place between Ankeny and Valley. Both currently participate in a suitable league, so that has to be taken into consideration as a new league is built. The next section will touch upon this idea a bit more, but essentially an Iowa league has to be worth before construction can truly start.

The best possible foundation for an Iowa league would be four teams in the Des Moines metro area. The Des Moines metro area has a population of roughly 630,000 people and more than 20 high schools. On paper, there should be enough players to accommodate ten teams with little issue, so four seems attainable with proper care. Given that Ankeny and Valley are community clubs with players representing multiple schools, it is a safe assumption that new teams would follow suit.

Plenty of space available!

Geographically, Ankeny is the city’s primary northern suburb while West Des Moines is in the west. Current population and housing growth is occurring west of West Des Moines in Waukee and further into Dallas County, which puts the previously discussed split back on the table. Between West Des Moines and Ankeny is Johnston. Johnston is currently tied with Waukee in terms of the numbers of players on the Tigers roster; Ankeny also has some Johnston players on their roster. Given the demographic similarities between West Des Moines, Ankeny, Waukee, and Johnston, the latter two could be in a good position to field teams of their own – under the right circumstances.

Waukee: This has not been made public, but over the summer a private organization continuously contacted me about operating a lacrosse program for them. The program would be comparable to the West Des Moines Lacrosse Club with both high school and middle school boys teams. Facilities were a given, including larger (than what I currently utilize) indoor practice space, a weight room, and an instruction room. After a lot of back and forth, I determined that it was not in the best interests of my family and offered to help find the right person for the job. They are currently speaking to at least one individual about launching this program by next season.

Johnston: Call this an unsubstantiated, but plausible rumor. A group of students and parents have talked to the school board or high school athletic director in Johnston about starting a high school lacrosse program. Over the last 24 months, we have gone from one Johnston player to over half a dozen on the Tigers roster. I have no idea what steps have been taken, or what kind of support the district is willing to offer. In terms of growth, location and sports rivalries with the existing programs, Johnston makes a lot sense.

South: I am also aware of a third possibility in Des Moines. As of right now it has been little more than brief discussions, but if field space and financing can be arranged it could easily shoot up the list. Valley currently has about a half dozen players that would be significantly closer to the proposed team and I learned over the weekend that a kid from the area contacted Ankeny about playing for them this spring. Of course the individuals that started this discussion made note of what I call phantom players: guys that would play if the team was closer/was their school. I do not put too much stock into these types of players as they lack the commitment needed to either launch or sustain a club program.

If just two of those three possibilities, or even others that I am unaware of, launched programs, the prospect of an Iowa Lacrosse League would strengthen. In the short term, NELAX would be able to realign itself to capitalize on the development by making a Des Moines division or a Des Moines-heavy Eastern division. So, as we continue this journey we will assume that the third and fourth teams in Des Moines have been established as members of NELAX.

Dubuque: This city in northeast Iowa has long been the target for the next Iowa team. Not only do they share a border with Wisconsin and could therefore potentially join their league, but they have had a youth program for several years. More recently the University of Dubuque sponsored men’s lacrosse at the NCAA D3 level, which could help foster growth in the area. Due to the established presence of lacrosse in the area and the existence of a feasible league, I still peg Dubuque as the first team outside of Des Moines to field a high school lacrosse team.

Sioux City: On the other side of the state, Sioux City has a lot of the same potential as Dubuque. I will be honest, Sioux City has fallen down a few pegs over the last year. The few individuals from there that had previously contacted me about starting a program have moved on. But the Le Mars Sentinel article gave me some hope that interest could be revived in the area. Maybe not Sioux city itself, but at least in the general region. Coach Dooyema maintains interest in doing what he can to help grow the game in the area. Given its proximity to Omaha and Des Moines, Sioux City is another location that could launch a team in an existing league until an Iowa Lacrosse League is viable.

The Quad Cities: St. Ambrose is the only lacrosse program in Iowa that offers scholarships. Coach Keel has a strong interest in helping to develop the game in his community. Davenport is part of a group of (five) cities along the Mississippi River in Iowa and Illinois. As a collective, the Quad Cities have just under half a million people. Every couple of months I receive an inquiry from interested parties in the Quad Cities. Between the regular interest and the presence of St. Ambrose, I think the Quad Cities could be ripe for a team in the near future. Chicago and Milwaukee present fairly long drives, but if either league would have them temporarily, I am sure they would make it work.

Waterloo: Over the past year I have been contacted by an athletic director and students from the Waterloo area. About an hour and a half east of Dubuque and three hours south of Minneapolis, Waterloo has its possibilities. I have tried to put the individuals in contact with each other and gave them instructions on how to get started. Without the development and experience present in Dubuque or the Quad Cities, things will be trickier to get going. As our season winds down, this is a group that I will revisit. The potential for an instructional clinic is higher than most cities for personal reasons. While they could potentially start in Minnesota’s club league, I see them waiting for an Iowa Lacrosse League.

Cedar Rapids: Honestly, this is the metro that frustrates me the most. Although highly spread out, the University of Iowa (MCLA) and Cornell College (NCAA D3) are both part of the metro area. The resources are there to help teach players and coaches. And the interest is there. I have received numerous emails over the years from individuals in the area that want to play and coach. Unfortunately, a viable league is not present. Cedar Rapids is a solid hour and a half from Des Moines, which puts it three and a half from Omaha. It is four hours from Milwaukee. More than any city I’ve listed, Cedar Rapids pretty much has to wait for an Iowa Lacrosse League if they want regular competition.

A little visual reference

Part 3 will further examine the viability of the candidates discussed here and lay out a logical road map for establishing an Iowa Lacrosse League based on this information.

]]>http://iowa.laxallstars.com/roadmap-expansion-iowa-high-school-lacrosse-part-2/feed/0A Roadmap for the Expansion of Iowa High School Lacrosse Part 1http://iowa.laxallstars.com/roadmap-expansion-iowa-high-school-lacrosse-part-1/
http://iowa.laxallstars.com/roadmap-expansion-iowa-high-school-lacrosse-part-1/#respondWed, 26 Mar 2014 18:15:08 +0000http://iowa.laxallstars.com/?p=1856

*Notice: This article will focus on boys lacrosse at the high school level as it is the area that I am most directly involved in. Girls lacrosse in Iowa is developing at a slower clip, so we may visit that topic in the future. Some History When I started the Central Iowa Lacrosse Association in […]

*Notice: This article will focus on boys lacrosse at the high school level as it is the area that I am most directly involved in. Girls lacrosse in Iowa is developing at a slower clip, so we may visit that topic in the future.

Some History

Action shot at the 2010 Valley Tigers fall scrimmage

When I started the Central Iowa Lacrosse Association in 2008, I had no clear direction. I simply had a vague notion of what I wanted to do (spoiler alert: play recreational lacrosse as an adult) and some ideas on how to get there. After hooking up with the just-born Valley Tigers Lacrosse Club in West Des Moines (now WDM Lax), my ideas expanded and changed to take advantage of the available players and resources.

Fast forwarding a few years, it is safe to say that lacrosse is firmly established in West Des Moines. We have dedicated varsity and JV teams. Last year we launched a spring middle school team that compliments our recreational youth summer program. We even brought the local high school girls team into the fold. Unfortunately we no longer have an adult program operating, but that’s a tale for another day…

Regular readers will recall that I announced the arrival of a second team in the Des Moines metro in December. Playing in the city’s northern suburb of Ankeny, the Hawks are jumping into the Nebraska High School Lacrosse League with both feet. They will field teams at the varsity and JV levels in their inaugural season. Needless to say, we are stoked to have local competition and have been working with the Hawks’ coaches to help solidify and strengthen the lacrosse community in the city as a whole. Plans have already been made to make the varsity games between the teams into full fledged Friday Night Lights events. As an added bonus, the Hawks JV will open their season by hosting the Tigers JV next Saturday.

Ankeny’s helmet

A couple of weeks ago, I was interviewed by a local newspaper in Le Mars, Iowa – a town over three hours northwest from West Des Moines, near Sioux City. The author was an East Coast transplant who had interned for the Rochester Rattlers before relocating to what is decidedly a rural part of my home state. He also talked to Tyler Dooyema, the head coach at Dordt College in nearby Sioux Center, about the sport’s potential for growth.

On my way home from practice the other night, I had a lengthy phone call with Brad Keel, head coach at St Ambrose University in Davenport. A fully funded NAIA team competing as a varsity program in the MCLA, the Bees are currently the lone Iowa college offering scholarships. Keel and I spent a good chunk of time simply talking about the sport and our respective visions for its growth in Iowa. This conversation, as well as the interview with Jordan Morey, inspired me to write this post.

St Ambrose Lacrosse (white)

The Hurdles

In order to build an Iowa high school lacrosse league, or even an Iowa division of another league, teams have to exist. I know it sounds simple, but it is a concept that many just cannot fathom.

We live in an age where most sports are plug and play. Parents sign up junior for the local baseball/soccer/basketball/football league, drop him off and go on their way. Games are more or less local; travel is prearranged when they are not. Practices are coordinated to the letter well in advance. Uniforms and fundraising are one and done at registration. Volunteers are essentially limited to supplying juice boxes and orange slices.

Having been involved with the Valley program since its first season, it’s taken several years to get a workable number of parents to understand that this is not the way lacrosse works at the moment. As the first team in the state, and a club team at that, everything is done at a grassroots level. Our league is headquartered in another state; roughly half of our games are two to three hours away. Parents are responsible for driving and carpooling to get our players to away games. Practice schedules are built around field and facility availability (though we have great relationship with WDMCS that smooths these issues out). We’ve struggled with buying uniforms many times over the years; last year we did not even receive the uniforms we ordered. Our volunteers handle literally everything from carpooling to score keeping to bringing water; even our coaching staff is comprised of volunteers, myself included.

To top it all off, players are responsible for providing their own equipment. At a realistic level, parents are looking to spend around $400 minimum – half of which is the helmet – to properly outfit a high school player. Of course that is on top of US Lacrosse dues, league dues, and team dues/uniform costs. For the record, our players paid a total of $350 this season ($35 USL, $90 NELAX, $225 WDM Lax). Sure $750 total a far cry from what hockey costs (the local teams’ dues are around $3000 plus equipment), but is significantly greater than the more familiar (and state sanctioned) Iowa high school spring sports: track, baseball, and soccer.

Of course our dues are relatively low because we already have goals and we get our field space for free (like I said, we have an outstanding relationship with one of the state’s best school districts). We also have coaches and parents that are willing and able to work for free.

But they still lax in their new locales

Since the Tigers first season in 2009, we have lost six coaches. Four of them left in one fell swoop following the 2012 season; I am the only original coach left. All of the departing coaches have moved on to other things in their personal and professional lives that took them out of the state, which is completely understandable. We lost our middle school coach over the off season for similar reasons. I struggle with the balance between my family, my professional life,and lacrosse on a regular basis.

Last year a couple of dads stepped up as volunteer coaches. This year the entire middle school team is coached by players’ dads. Although they are relatively new to lacrosse, they bring significant experience from coaching other sports. This may be one of the keys to the development of the sport as it grows in Iowa. I will expand upon this a little later…

Aside from coaches, the greatest personnel need is referees. Currently we have two certified referees in Des Moines; unfortunately neither will be officiating this season. One is now running the Ankeny. The other simply does not have the time due to his professional life. Because we play in the Nebraska High School Lacrosse League, we are fortunate to have their officials travel to West Des Moines and Ankeny as part of our league dues. Unfortunately there are times when the league needs to import additional officials from Kansas, Missouri, and Minnesota to meet our league’s needs as the aforementioned situation of being too busy to officiate is a widespread issue.

Overcoming the shortage of both coaches and officials will be paramount to creating an Iowa high school lacrosse league. If we can solve one, then we should be able to solve the other. Experienced coaches, not necessarily lacrosse coaches, are plentiful in the state. The same can be said for officials – especially basketball and football officials. There may be a decent number of hockey officials here as well, based on the number of high school, USHL, and NAHL teams in the state.

Part 2 will review previous ideas for creating an Iowa Lacrosse League before examining the most likely candidates to do so in the near future.

Part 3 will further examine the viability of the candidates discussed in Part 2 and lay out a logical road map for establishing an Iowa Lacrosse League based on this information.

Just arrive dressed in standard athletic apparel. All lacrosse equipment needed to participate will be available to borrow on site, but feel free to bring and use personal equipment too.

If you’relooking to get introduced and even involved with the fastest growing sport in America, then this is a great opportunity to obtain free, hands on instruction. Boys and girls of all ages and skill levels are invited. Clinic goals are to introduce basic lacrosse skills such as catching, passing, and cradling.

We will be accepting spring lacrosse registration forms. Attached is a registration form to sign up for the Spring lacrosse season running from April 15 through June 15.

We would love to have you, your friends, and your families! Come participate and spread the word about Dubuque Lacrosse! Please forward this email to anyone else who may be interested in participating. We hope to see you!

Hot on the tail of reorganizing into the West Des Moines Lacrosse Club, the Tigers are actively preparing for the 2014 season. Indoor practices for the high school boys and girls teams began on January 24. Outdoor practices are scheduled to begin on Monday, March 3, weather permitting. Considering the chaos that we’ve experienced this […]

Hot on the tail of reorganizing into the West Des Moines Lacrosse Club, the Tigers are actively preparing for the 2014 season. Indoor practices for the high school boys and girls teams began on January 24. Outdoor practices are scheduled to begin on Monday, March 3, weather permitting. Considering the chaos that we’ve experienced this winter, we’re skeptical that we’ll be able to begin that early – kind of like last year… The middle school boys team is scheduled to start a week later.

Our primary logo going forward

Parental Involvement

For the first time in team history, we will a preseason meeting for parents. Originally scheduled for this past Monday, a snowstorm and subsequent school closure (there’s that chaotic weather again!) forced us to reschedule to next Monday, February 24. Not only will this give the parents a chance to meet the coaches and board members, but it will also allow us to arrange volunteers for various game duties and distribute important information.

Along with the meeting, plans are in place to teach our parents more about the sport. Scorekeeper training sessions will occur on a regular basis for the boys teams with the JV and middle school staff providing instruction. We are actively encouraging parents to attend practices, listen, and observe. We have always had a fairly open door at the JV and middle school practices, but the drastic changes to the coaching staff over the last two seasons have inspired us to reach out even more.

Uniforms

We were set to get new uniforms last spring. Unfortunately something happened with our vendor, Dasher Sports, that prevented us from every receiving the uniforms we ordered and paid for. We never received the full story, but the bits and pieces that we’ve put together from other teams who suffered our fate and other sources do not paint a pretty picture.

But the past is behind us.

After researching and requesting quotes from several companies, the board decided to go a little closer to home with our uniforms this year. Breakaway Sportswear in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota will be outfitting the Tigers this season. Our high school uniform package includes shorts (skirts for the girls), shooter, pinnie, socks, and reversible game jersey. Take a look at the jersey on the right to get a sense of our design direction. A full spread will be available once the uniforms are received.

This season marks the first time that players will be issued team socks. Players will also keep their jerseys this season, which eliminates the hassle of collecting and storing them and also removes the cost of replacing them from the team’s budget.

High School Girls

Previously playing as Waukee (another western suburb, the local girls have always played their home games at our facility and have usually practiced at the same complex. When the decision to restructure the lacrosse program was getting underway, I recommended that we bring them into the fold in order to strengthen their presence and increase the exposure for girls lacrosse in the city. So far it has been a positive move overall.

Unfortunately our girls team does not have a ready-built league to accommodate them like our boys teams do. They did, albeit a little further away in Kansas City, but apparently the powers that be decided to disband the division for teams outside of KC. This move not only affected our girls team, but teams from Omaha, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and elsewhere in Kansas and Missouri. Lax Power still lists all of them under the Kansas League, but that may change somewhere down the road as these teams are not playing a league schedule.

Instead the girls will play three tournament dates. While exact details are still developing, dates and locations have been set. The team will visit Omaha on Saturday, March 29. They will head to Columbia, MO on Saturday, April 5. Their season wraps up at home on Saturday, May 3. As opponents and start times become available, the online schedule will be updated.

High School Boys

Last season we reached the state championship game for the first time only to lose by five in the championship game. Despite key losses around the field, notably 2/3 of our attack unit and the bulk of defensive end, we plan to build on last year’s success. Continuing from last year’s focus on ball movement, we are restocking our lines with quick, athletic players and moving away from big ball carriers and defense men (midwest style lacrosse players).

Our biggest question mark is in goal where two new comers are vying for the starting varsity spot following Marcum’s departure. The loss of 5 defensive players has been offset by the movement of Kaputska from LSM in favor of Turner and some surprise developments from other returning players.

On the offensive side of the ball, perennial All-State player Crites will lead a capable attack unit built around a mix of youth and experience. The midfield has been retooled into a sleek machine designed for speed, endurance, and ball movement.

This season features 13 league games, including 2 Friday night games against new local rival Ankeny! Non-conference games against Pembroke Hill (MO) and Grand Rapids (MN) round out the regular season which is slated to begin on April 5 in West Des Moines.

The JV team is scheduled to play their opening games on March 9 at Creighton Prep. There are currently 13 games on the JV schedule.

Middle School Boys

The schedule has not been set by the league yet, but games are expected to start during the first week of April.

With the 2014 season just around the corner, the West Des Moines Lacrosse Club has opened registration and will be holding its first ever parents’ meeting on Monday, February 17, 2014. In addition to all three boys teams returning (high school varsity, high school junior varsity, and middle school), the West Des Moines Lacrosse Club […]

With the 2014 season just around the corner, the West Des Moines Lacrosse Club has opened registration and will be holding its first ever parents’ meeting on Monday, February 17, 2014. In addition to all three boys teams returning (high school varsity, high school junior varsity, and middle school), the West Des Moines Lacrosse Club is proud to announce that the Waukee Girls Lacrosse club has joined our family and will play under the West Des Moines Lacrosse Club name going forward!

Wait – West Des Moines Lacrosse Club? What happened to Valley Tigers? The team still plays under the Valley High School name; we still wear the Tigers’ logos and colors. An internal restructuring and split from the YMCA to create an independent entity resulted in a formal name change. The West Des Moines Lacrosse Club name embraces the fact that not all of our players attend Valley High School, while allowing us to continue our relationship with the school district.

Information for All Players
Uniforms – Redesigned uniforms will be supplied by the team. More information will be available in the Registration Information and/or parent meeting. We have gone with a new vendor after last year’s fiasco resulted in the program losing its deposit without receiving the bulk of its order. The redesigned uniforms will be unveiled in the near future.

High School Boys

Registration Information – The 2014 Registration Information is in the process of being compiled, but will be similar to 2013. US Lacrosse Membership will be required before any other steps may be taken.

Required Equipment – All players are required to supply their own equipment. There is no gear available to rent or loan.

Team Rules – A revised document is being created as part of the 2014 Registration Information packet. It will borrow heavily from last year’s information.

High School Girls

Registration Information – The 2014 Registration Information is in the process of being compiled, but will be similar to 2013. US Lacrosse Membership will be required before any other steps may be taken.

Required Equipment – All players are required to supply their own equipment. There is no gear available to rent or loan.

Team Rules – A revised document is being created as part of the 2014 Registration Information packet. It will borrow heavily from last year’s information.

Middle School Boys

Registration Information – The 2014 Registration Information is in the process of being compiled, but will be similar to 2013. US Lacrosse Membership will be required before any other steps may be taken.

Required Equipment – All players are required to supply their own equipment. There is no gear available to rent or loan.

Team Rules – A revised document is being created as part of the 2014 Registration Information packet. It will borrow heavily from last year’s information.

Parent Meeting
There will be a mandatory meeting for parents on Monday, February 17, 2014 at 8:30 pm at Fairmeadows Elementary. This meeting is for parents of all Valley Lacrosse teams: Boys Middle School, Boys High School Varsity & JV, and Girls High School. Important information will be distributed at this meeting. The parent board and the coaching staff will be on hand to review material and answer questions.
Fairmeadows Elementary
807 23rd St
West Des Moines, IA 50265

2014 Practice Schedules

High School Indoor Practices begin on Monday, January 27, 2014.

High School Boys Outdoor Practices are expected to being on Monday, March 3, 2014.

Support the West Des Moines Lacrosse club by enjoying dinner at the Pizza Ranch in Waukee on Wednesday, February 19. The club will receive a percentage of the sales that evening as a fundraiser. The best part is that the percentage increases with volume, so the more people that eat at the Pizza Ranch on February 19, the more money the club receives.

Volunteer Information: In order to make this happen (raising money for your team), we need volunteers to help bus tables and make extra tips. Remember, all of the tips go to the club!
Coach Jaacki will have a sign up sheet at Monday’s indoor practice.
Volunteers need to report to the Pizza Ranch by 4:30 pm.

The Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League have invited the Valley Tigers Lacrosse Club to attend an afternoon game on Saturday, March 22. Come join your teammates as we watch the Wild take on the Grand Rapids Griffins at 1:05 PM. We would like to get as many members of the Valley Lacrosse community […]

The Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League have invited the Valley Tigers Lacrosse Club to attend an afternoon game on Saturday, March 22. Come join your teammates as we watch the Wild take on the Grand Rapids Griffins at 1:05 PM.

We would like to get as many members of the Valley Lacrosse community as possible to the game, preferably decked out in Valley lacrosse apparel.

Tickets are $11 per person. Friends and families are welcome – even if they are not laxers themselves!

Ticket requests are due by Friday, February 15. I would like them turned in by the end of practice on Saturday, February 15.

Please refer to the PDF on the West Des Moines Lacrosse Club website for more information. Please include the player’s name and the total number of tickets somewhere on the form.

We plan to hand the tickets out at the parent meeting on Monday, February 17.